A
New Fur Friend Came Home Today
4 months ago today I lost my beloved
and adored cat Bogus Khan, whom I had for
12+ years. He and I were so very close
that when I lost him, I felt as if my
heart had been ripped in two, and my
world shattered. I never dreamed that I
would be so lonely or would cry such a
river of tears. I also believed with all
my heart that I would never want another
cat. I was so wrong.
This afternoon I went to pick up my
youngest son from elementry school. We
were walking home (our usual route)
coming up the street to our house, when
my son spotted this white and cream
colored young cat with deep blue eyes. He
had one deformed ear. We had never seen
him before. We both said hello to him and
he called back to us. I am convinced that
some kind of bonding took place with my
son and that adorable young cat, because
he started following us the rest of the
way home. (We were only 2 blocks from the
house.) It was when we crossed the second
street that was a busy one for a small
town, and put us only 1/2 block from our
house that it became very clear that he
wanted to come home with us. He stood
there at that corner, watching us cross
to the other side of the street and
begain to cry sorrowfully and started
looking in both directions to be sure
that the street was clear. One car passed
then the street was clear and he quickly
crossed the street, caught up with us and
followed us on to the house. When my
oldest son opened the door to let us in,
that young cat walked right into our
house as if he belonged there! He stole
our hearts within minutes, even Thom's,
who has been grieving very hard after
losing Bogus.
I took my pull along grocery cart with
me, walked to the store and bought some
much needed house and food supplies as
well as a bag of cat litter and cat food.
When I returned, the family helped me
unload and bring it inside. After putting
the groceries away and getting dinner
served, I quickly set up the cat litter
box in a discreet place in the kitchen.
He went right to it as if he knew exactly
what it was and what it was to be used
for. My youngest son named him Cloud
Warrior and that is the name he will have
untill the day he draws his last breath.
We are all so attached to him that the
idea of not keeping him is inconceivable
even if he should by some chance happen
to belong to someone else which I hope
with all my heart that he does not.
Somewhere between 6:00 and 6:30 pm it
begain to snow heavily and Cloud made it
very clear that he has no desire to
return to the outside. When Thom asked
him if he wanted to go back and live
outside, Cloud looked at him as if he
were stupid for asking such a question
and violently shook his head no.
What's really spooky to me is that
this young cat is showing some of the
VERY EXACT behaviors and mannerisms that
Bogus had! I find it heartwarming and yet
eerie at the same time.
I am finishing up this post at the
exact time 4 months ago that I was going
thru the longest and saddest 8 hours of
my life, sitting vigil with my beloved
furbaby as he was leaving this world and
preparing to cross over to Rainbow Bridge.(1:40
am) Darn! I have tears in my eyes just
writing this part.
I don't know how long Cloud will be
with us, but I can promise that he will
be one very pampered and well cared for
kitty for as long as he has been given to
us. He's sleeping in a chair (next to
mine) on a green flowered pillowcase as I
finish this.
© Renee Hartman
02/04/04
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